Method of programming a lighting preset from a radio-frequency remote control

This application is a continuation of co-pending, commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/713,854, filed Mar. 5, 2007, entitled METHOD OF PROGRAMMING A LIGHTING PRESET FROM A RADIO-FREQUENCY REMOTE CONTROL, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a wireless lighting control system for controlling the amount of power delivered to an electrical load from a source of alternating-current (AC) power, and more particularly, to a method of programming a lighting preset from a radio-frequency (RF) remote control.

2. Description of the Related Art

Control systems for controlling electrical loads, such as lights, motorized window treatments, and fans, are known. Such control systems often use radio-frequency (RF) transmission to provide wireless communication between the control devices of the system. One example of an RF lighting control system is disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,442, issued on May 18, 1999, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AND DETERMINING THE STATUS OF ELECTRICAL DEVICES FROM REMOTE LOCATIONS, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

The RF lighting control system of the \'442 patent includes wall-mounted load control devices, table-top and wall-mounted master controls, and signal repeaters. The control devices of the RF lighting control system include RF antennas adapted to transmit and receive the RF signals that provide for communication between the control devices of the lighting control system. All of the control devices transmit and receive the RF signals on the same frequency. Each of the load control devices includes a user interface and an integral dimmer circuit for controlling the intensity of an attached lighting load. The user interface has a pushbutton actuator for providing on/off control of the attached lighting load and a raise/lower actuator for adjusting the intensity of the attached lighting load. The load control devices may be programmed with a preset lighting intensity that may be recalled later in response to an actuation of a button of the user interface or a received RF signal.

The table-top and wall-mounted master controls each have a plurality of buttons and are operable to transmit RF signals to the load control devices to control the intensities of the lighting loads. The signal repeaters initiate configuration procedures for the RF lighting control system and help to ensure error-free communication by repeating the RF signals to ensure that every device of the system reliably receives the RF signals. To prevent interference with other nearby RF lighting control systems located in close proximity, the RF lighting control system of the \'442 patent preferably uses a house code (i.e., a house address), which each of the control devices stores in memory. Each of the control devices of the lighting control system is also assigned a unique device address (typically one byte in length) for use during normal system operation to avoid collisions between transmitted RF communication signals.

It is desirable to set the value of the preset lighting intensity of one of the load control devices from a remote control (e.g., from the table-top master control). Prior art wireless lighting control systems have included methods of programming the preset intensity of a load control device from an infrared (IR) remote control. To program a new lighting preset, a user adjusts the intensity of the lighting load to a desired level and then presses and holds a button on the IR remote control for a predetermined amount of time. The IR remote transmits a plurality of IR signals to the load control device while the button is held. The load control device determines that the button of the IR remote control is being held and stores the preset intensity of the lighting load as the new preset intensity. Preferably, the load control device receives a predetermined number of IR signals, e.g., ten IR signals, before determining that the button is being held. FCC limitations on average intentional power transmitted.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates telecommunications and the use of the radio spectrum, including radio-frequency communications, in the United States. The rules of the FCC are provided in Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Specifically, Part 15 is directed towards radio-frequency devices. For control systems, such as RF lighting control systems, continuous transmissions are not allowed. However, periodic transmissions are acceptable as long as the FCC limitations on the average intentional power transmitted are observed. As a consequence of complying with the FCC regulations, RF lighting control systems can only transmit a limited number of RF signals in a given time period.

Because of the limitations on how often a control device of an RF lighting control system can transmit RF signals, an RF control device receiving an RF signal must respond rather quickly to the received RF signal, for example, after receiving only one or two RF signals. Therefore, when a button is held on an RF remote control, an RF load control device receiving an RF signal from the remote control cannot wait for ten RF signals (i.e., to determine that the button is being held) before responding to the RF signal. When a button is pressed and held on an RF remote control to program a new preset intensity, the load control device must control the lighting load immediately in response to the RF signal. Then the load control device can subsequently determine that the button is being held and store a new preset intensity. This sequence of events can be confusing to a user.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved method of programming a lighting preset of a load control device from an RF remote control.

The present invention provides a method of programming a preset intensity of a load control device. The load control device is operable to control the amount of power delivered to a lighting load from an AC power source such that the lighting load is illuminated to the preset intensity. The method comprises the steps of: (1) controlling the intensity of the lighting load to an initial preset intensity in response to receiving a wireless transmission; (2) providing a visual indication representative of a new intensity in response to receiving a first predetermined number of the wireless transmissions with no more than a first predetermined time period between two consecutive wireless transmissions; and (3) storing the new intensity as the preset intensity in response to receiving a second predetermined number of the wireless transmissions with no more than a second predetermined time period between two consecutive wireless transmissions.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method of programming a preset intensity of a load control device comprises the steps of: (1) controlling the intensity of a lighting load to an initial preset intensity in response to receiving a wireless transmission; (2) providing a visual indication representative of a new intensity in response to receiving a first predetermined number of the wireless transmissions within a first amount of time; and (3) storing the first intensity as the preset intensity in response to receiving a second predetermined number of the wireless transmissions within a second amount of time.

The present invention further provides a dimmer switch for controlling the amount of power delivered to a lighting load from an AC power source such that the lighting load is illuminated to a preset intensity. The dimmer switch comprises a controllably conductive device, a controller, a wireless receiver, and a plurality of visual indicators. The controllably conductive device is adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between the AC power source and the lighting load, the controllably conductive device having a control input. The controller is operatively coupled to the control input of the controllably conductive device for controlling the intensity of the lighting load. The wireless receiver is operable to receive a wireless transmission and is coupled to the controller such that the controller is responsive to the wireless transmission. The visual indicators are coupled to the controller and are operable to provide a representation of the intensity of the lighting load. The controller is operable to control the intensity of the lighting load to a new intensity. The controller is further operable to control the intensity of the lighting load to an initial preset intensity in response to receiving the wireless transmission, to blink one of the plurality of visual indicators representative of the new intensity in response to receiving a first predetermined number of the wireless transmissions with no more than a first predetermined time period between two consecutive wireless transmissions, and to store the new intensity as the preset intensity in response to receiving a second predetermined number of the wireless transmissions with no more than a second predetermined time period between two consecutive wireless transmissions.

In addition, the present invention provides a lighting control system for controlling the amount of power delivered to a lighting load from an AC power source such that the lighting load is illuminated to a preset intensity. The lighting control system comprises a remote control operable to transmit a wireless transmission in response to an actuation of a button. The lighting control system further comprises a dimmer switch operable to control intensity of the lighting load to a new intensity. The dimmer switch is further operable to control the lighting load to an initial preset intensity in response to receiving the wireless transmission, to provide a visual indication representative of the new intensity in response to receiving a first predetermined number of the wireless transmissions with no more than a first predetermined time period between two consecutive wireless transmissions, and to store the new intensity as the preset intensity in response to receiving a second predetermined number of the wireless transmissions with no more than a second predetermined time period between two consecutive wireless transmissions.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention that refers to the accompanying drawings.